The vineyard is not open to visitors. I was therefore privileged to be able to visit it and it is with great pleasure that I introduce it to you too. Here is, for you, an incredible chance to appreciate this jewel of the Eastern Townships.
The Grange Hatley vineyard is quite new, but the winemaker is experienced. After many years of working in the vineyards in France and Quebec, Jean-Paul Martin created his own vineyard very close to here, in Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley. The place is magnificent, surrounded by gigantic trees and superbly landscaped. A beautiful red barn is topped with a weather vane in the shape of a pig, a nod to The Piggery Theater located nearby.
The first vines were planted there in 2011. A few years later, wine production began to the great delight of lovers of good wines.
The different grape varieties grown were carefully chosen according to the terroir, climate and wines that the winemaker had in mind. Beautiful vine plants are well aligned on a gentle south-facing slope to provide the grapes with the best conditions to ripen.
The vineyard produces in small quantities. Although Jean-Paul thinks he could possibly double his production, it will nevertheless remain modest. For the winemaker, it is not the quantity but rather the quality that matters.
This quality can actually be found in its wines. Very in demand, Les Corneilles , is a white resulting from a blend of three grape varieties (St-Pepin, Frontenac Blanc and Pinot Gris). It is a dry wine, with a beautiful bright yellow. It has a delicate nose with aromas of white flesh fruits, lemon, yellow plum and apricot. On the palate, it is elegant, harmonious and has a beautiful suppleness.
Really different from the first, the St-Pépin , another white produced in the vineyard, is made from a single grape variety aged for 12 to 14 months in oak barrels. This passage in a wooden barrel gives it a beautiful complexity.
As mentioned, production is limited in quantity. The wines are only sold in a few renowned restaurants in the region and a few boutique stores including Gourmande boutique in Sherbrooke. These two whites as well as a rosé, simply called Rosé , are not available all year round because stocks sell out quickly. Currently, we still have Les Corneilles and Ros é. The St-Pépin, for its part, will be available around December… If the winemaker judges that it is ready to be tasted!
Grange Hatley Vineyard
Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley